Roof truss machine

ABSTRACT

A machine for assembling wood frames such as roof trusses made of wood members abutted together and secured by spiked truss connector plates consists of a hydraulically actuated C-shaped clamping press having upper and lower press plates and being movably mounted for horizontal motion on a supporting frame. Movable support means is provided for the wood members to position the same in spaced relation to the upper and lower press plates of the C-shaped clamping press to permit quick and easy placement of the spiked truss connecting plates. A hydraulic actuating system including an accumulator is provided to actuate the C-shaped clamping press in a hammer like blow driving the spiked truss connector plates into the wooden members.

I United States Patent 1191 1111 3,713,381 Mort et al. 1 1 Jan. 30, 1973 I541 ROOF TRUSS MACHINE 3,599,562 8/l97l Hutchens ..100 100 3,l l5,676 l2/l963 Ouartullo ..100/269 R [75] g i gi Crease" 3,103,136 9/l963 BOllfil' ..100/269 R 3,530,790 9/1970 Post ..100/010. 13 [73] Assignee: Inter-Lock Steel Company, Inc.,

East Palestine Ohio Primary ExaminerBilly J. Wilhite At! W b t B. H 221 Filed: Dec. 8, 1970 e S arpma" [21] Appl. No.: 96,027 [57] ABSTRACT A machine for assembling wood frames such as roof [52] U.S. Cl. ..100/100, 100/50, 100/231, russes m of wood members abutted together and 100/269 R, l00/DlG. l3, 227/152 secured by spiked truss connector plates consists of a [5l] lnt.Cl. ..B30b 1/32 hydraulically actuated C-shaped clamping press hav- [58] Field of Search....l00/50, 231, 100, 269 R, DIG. ing upper and lower press plates and being movably 3 l3; 227/152 mounted for horizontal motion on a supporting frame. Movable support means is provided for the wood [56] References Cited members to position the same in spaced relation to the upper and lower press plates of the C-shaped clamping UNITED STATES PATENTS press to permit quick and easy placement of the 3,207,406 9/1965 Bowman ..100/231 x Sp truss Connecting P A hydraulic actuating 3,358,348 12/1967 McGlinchey ..100/231 x system including an accum lator-is provided to actu- 3,358,589 12/1967 Hentzschel ..100/l00 ate the C-shaped clamping press in a hammer like 3,315,595 4/1967 Moehlenpah e! X blow driving the spiked truss connector plates into the Jureit X wooden members 3,487,430 12/1969 Schmitt ..100/231 2 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PAIENIEUmsown 3.713.381

' sum 1 or 3 l l W l FIG. 2

ROBERT E. MORT 3 BY GEORGE E. CREASER ATTORNE PAIENIEnm 30 ms 3.713.381

sum 3 OF 3 INVENTORS ROBERT E. MORT a GEORGE E. CREASER noor TRUSS MACHINE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to roof truss machines and similar flat truss presses of the type normally employed to connect wooden members to one another through the medium of spiked truss connection plates.

2. Description of the Prior Art Prior structures of this type include clamp means carried on overhead supports and engageable with selected locations on wooden members to be joined such as may be seen in U. S. Pat. Nos. 3,315,595 and 3,487,430. Flat truss presses capable ofjoining wooden members with spiked truss connection plates are disclosed in U. S. Pat. Nos. 3,207,406; 3,358,589 and 3,388,657.

This invention eliminates the uncertainties of alignment of the wooden members being joined as common in the prior art devices and provides for movement of the C-shaped clamping press relative to the means supporting the wooden members which construction also facilitates moving the truss being assembled relative to the C-shaped clamping press of the machine.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A roof truss machine which is portable and capable of being moved to various locations on a production floor movably mounts a C-shaped clamping press with respect to a yieldable support means on which wooden members to be joined are positioned. Spiked truss connector plates are easily positioned above and below the wooden members to be joined and a novel hydraulic system incorporating a large accumulator permits the C-shaped clamping press to be actuated with a hammer like blow to effectively drive the spiked truss connection plates into the wooden members so as to avoid splitting the wooden members or cracking them.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the roof truss machine. FIG. 2 is atop plan view on line 22 of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is an end elevation on line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

sembly can be movably positioned on the track ways 12 heretofore referred.

By referring to FIG. 4 of the drawings it will be seen that the side members 13 of the sub-frame assembly FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the C-shaped clamping press portion of the roof truss machine as also seen in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings and FIG. 5 is a symbolic electrical and hydraulic diagram of the actuating means of the roof truss machine.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In its'simplest form the roof truss machine as seen in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings comprises a frame including vertical support members 10 carrying a plurality of horizontal frame members 11, two of which are spaced inwardly of the support members 10 and comprise longitudinally extending track ways 12. The lower ends of the vertical support members 10 and/or the lowermost horizontal frame members 11 can be provided with ground engaging wheels to render the roof truss machine portable if desired.

A sub-frame assembly including a pair of side members l3 spaced by transverse members 14 and 15 is provided with pairs of V-grooved wheels 16 on the outer sides of the side members 13 so that the sub-frame ashave vertical extensions which are, in turn, provided with guides 13a for slidably receiving ribs 17 on vertically moving C-shaped members 17a which are secured to one another in spaced relation adjacent their upper and lowermost ends by plates 18 and 19 respectively. An upper press plate 20 is attached to the plate 18 for limited vertical movement and positioned in space vertical alignment with respect to the transverse member 15 heretofore referred to which comprises the lower press plate of the C-shaped clamping press.

Still referring to FIGS. 1, 3 and 4 of the drawings it will be seen that a hydraulic cylinder 21 is mounted in inverted relation with its base 22 secured to the transverse member 14 of the sub-frame assembly and that its piston 23 is secured to the plate 19 which extends between the lower ends of the C-shaped members 17 as heretofore described.

It will thus be evident to those skilled in the art that when hydraulic fluid is introduced into the hydraulic cylinder 21 the piston 23 will move an impart comparable vertical movement to the C-shaped members 17 which are thereby movable with respect to the subframe assembly and the side members 13 thereof.

The C-shaped members 17 carry the upper press plate 20 and the same is therefor movable relative to the lower press plate which is the transverse member 15.

It will thus be seen that a C-shaped clamping press comprises an essential portion of the roof truss machine disclosed herein and that on actuation the upper press plate 20 moves vertically relative to the lower press plate 15 and that the sub frame assembly including the side members 13 which support the C- shaped members 17 etc. is movable horizontally with respect to the roof truss machine by reason of the V- grooved wheels 16 engaging the track ways 12 of the machine as heretofore described.

By referring to FIGS. 1 and 3 of the drawings it will be seen that the uppermost horizontal frame members 11 carry two pairs of resilient members 24 which, in turn, support a rectangular frame 25 which defines the general area in which the C-shaped clamping press operates. It will be observed that the rectangular frame 25 is spaced above the uppermost ends of the vertical support members 10 and the horizontal frame members 11 of the frame of the roof truss machine as seen in FIG. 1 of the drawing and that the rectangular frame 25 is therefore in a desirable position to support the wooden members to be joined in forming a truss.

By referring to FIG. 3 of the drawings broken line illustrations of abutted wooden members W may be seen resting on the rectangular frame 25 with a spiked truss connection plate 26 positioned against their uppermost surfaces overlapping their abutting ends and positioned immediately below the upper pressure plate 20.

In operation hydraulic fluid delivered to the cylinder 21 moves the C-shaped member 17 downwardly along with the upper press plate 20 to engage the spiked truss connection plate 26 and move it and the wooden members W downwardly along with the supporting rectangular frame 25 and into engagement with a second spiked truss connection plate 27 which has been positioned on the lower press plate 15. The resulting action is the driving of spike portions of the spiked truss connection plates 26 and 27 into the upper and lower sur faces respectively of the wooden members W thereby effecting a practical and efficient connection therebetween.

Those skilled in the art will observe that the spiked truss connection plates 26 and 27 may be gusset plates and accordingly shaped so that they extend beyond the actual wooden members being joined and form reinforcing structures with respect to the same.

In order that the above described operation may be carried out the roof truss machine is provided with an electric motor 28 as best seen in FIGS. 1 and of the drawings which drives a pump 29 located within a fluid reservoir 30 and communicating therewith byway of a filter 31. An accumulator 32 is in fluid connection with the pump 29 and by referring specifically to-FIG. 5 of the drawings it will be seen that the communication is by way of a pipe 33 which passes through a relief valve 34 and is directly connected with a branch pipe 33 which communicates with a directional valve 35 which acts to direct fluid pressure into one or the other of the ends of the hydraulic cylinder 21 and provide for the return flow of fluid therefrom to the reservoir 30 as will be understood by those skilled in the art. The return flow is by way of a pipe 36. The pipe 33 is provided with a pressure operated switch 37 and circuit wiring 38 extends therefrom to a terminal box 39 associated,

with the motor 28. The directional valve 35 is preferably electrically actuated and controls circuit wire 40 extended therefrom to the terminal box 39 and energizing circuits 41 extend from the terminal box 39 to a control panel 42 to which a power supply not shown is connected.

Directional switches 43 on the control panel 42 control the position of the directional valve 35 heretofore referred to and a main off on switch 44 controls the entire panel and operation of the roof truss machine.

The pressure actuated switch 37 on the main fluid line 33 heretofore described overrides the controls of the motor 28 so that upon a predetermined pressure being realized in the accumulator 32 and the hydraulic circuits of the roof truss machine the motor 28 will be stopped automatically.

System and valve condition indicating lights 45 and 46 are built into the control panel 42 and indicate the operational function or readiness of the power circuitry.

The above described roof truss machine provides relatively easy and fast positioning of the wooden members from which a roof truss or other wooden frame is to be formed and supports and maintains the wooden members in desired position while the spiked truss connection plates are positioned for driving by the machine. The ability of the C-shaped clamping press and its supporting sub-frame assembly to be moved' relative to the machine and more particularly the portions thereof supporting the wooden members to be 5 joined makes the removal or repositioning of the trus being formed simple and fast.

Although but one embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described it will be apparent to those skilled in the'art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and having thus described our invention,

What we claim is:

l. A roof truss machine consisting of a frame having an elevated upper portion, track ways on said frame below said upper portion, a sub-frame assembly movably positioned on said track ways for movement therealong, a first clamping press plate on said subframe assembly, a C-shaped member positioned for vertical movement on and with respect to said subframe assembly and extending above and below said upper portion of said frame, a second clamping press plate on said C-shaped member and a hydraulic piston and cylinder assembly interconnecting said sub-frame assembly and said C-shaped member for moving said C-shaped member relative to said sub-frame assembly, said clamping press plates being in vertical alignment, a support frame yieldingly positioned on the upper portion of said frame, said sub-frame assembly and said C- shaped member being movable horizontally and vertically respectively within the area of said support frame, and wherein said clamping press plates are positioned one above and one below said support frame, said support frame arranged to support roof truss members in said roof truss machine, a fluid power system in said roof truss machine for actuating said hydraulic piston and cylinder assembly.

2. A roof truss machine consisting of a frame having an elevatedupper portion, track ways on said frame below said upper portion, a sub-frame assembly movably positioned on said track ways for movement therealong, a first clamping press plate on said subframe. assembly, a C-shaped member positioned for vertical movement on and with respect to said subframe assembly and extending above and below said upper portion of said frame, a second clamping press plate on said C-shaped member and a hydraulic piston and cylinder assembly interconnecting said sub-frame assembly and said C-shaped member for moving said C-shaped member relative to said sub-frame assembly, said clamping press plates being in vertical alignment, said second clamping press plate being movably affixed to said C-shaped member and arranged for limited vertical motion relative thereto and a fluid power system in said roof truss machine for actuating said hydraulic piston and cylinder assembly.

t II i 

1. A roof truss machine consisting of a frame having an elevated upper portion, track ways on said frame below said upper portion, a sub-frame assembly movably positioned on said track ways for movement therealong, a first clamping press plate on said subframe assembly, a C-shaped member positioned for vertical movement on and with respect to said sub-frame assembly and extending above and below said upper portion of said frame, a second clamping press plate on said C-shaped member and a hydraulic piston and cylinder assembly interconnecting said subframe assembly and said C-shaped member for moving said C-shaped member relative to said sub-frame assembly, said clamping preSs plates being in vertical alignment, a support frame yieldingly positioned on the upper portion of said frame, said sub-frame assembly and said C-shaped member being movable horizontally and vertically respectively within the area of said support frame, and wherein said clamping press plates are positioned one above and one below said support frame, said support frame arranged to support roof truss members in said roof truss machine, a fluid power system in said roof truss machine for actuating said hydraulic piston and cylinder assembly.
 1. A roof truss machine consisting of a frame having an elevated upper portion, track ways on said frame below said upper portion, a sub-frame assembly movably positioned on said track ways for movement therealong, a first clamping press plate on said sub-frame assembly, a C-shaped member positioned for vertical movement on and with respect to said sub-frame assembly and extending above and below said upper portion of said frame, a second clamping press plate on said C-shaped member and a hydraulic piston and cylinder assembly interconnecting said sub-frame assembly and said C-shaped member for moving said C-shaped member relative to said sub-frame assembly, said clamping preSs plates being in vertical alignment, a support frame yieldingly positioned on the upper portion of said frame, said sub-frame assembly and said C-shaped member being movable horizontally and vertically respectively within the area of said support frame, and wherein said clamping press plates are positioned one above and one below said support frame, said support frame arranged to support roof truss members in said roof truss machine, a fluid power system in said roof truss machine for actuating said hydraulic piston and cylinder assembly. 